I don't have time to.....

I don’t have time to read that chapter of the book.

I don’t have time to cook myself a healthy meal.

I don’t have time to write that lab report.

I don’t have time to study for the exam.

I don’t have time to call my mom.

Time poverty

I get it! Time poverty is a real issue. There are a ton of demands on you as a college student and it is really hard to get everything done. You have to go class, write papers, research internships for next year, fill out grad school applications, go to practice, study for exams, do problem sets, answer that text message, stop at the dining hall for dinner, catch up with your friends, check your Instagram, sleep... The list goes on and on. No wonder you are overwhelmed and stressed! College is a juggling act and you are the ring master of your own circus.

There will probably be times when you just won’t be able to get everything done. When that happens you have hard choices to make. Will you study for the exam or do the problem set? Will you go to the gym or hang out with your friends? Will you do a little bit of work for each class or focus on the one which is the most challenging while you put the others on hold? The cumulative results of the seemingly mundane daily choices you make regarding what you will and will not do with your time can make a big difference in your ultimate success.

How do you make the best choices?

The next time you find yourself overwhelmed and thinking that you just don’t have time to do something, take a moment to rephrase that thought. Take out “I don’t have time to…” and replace it with “I am not making it a priority to…”

I don’t have time to go to class becomes I am not making it a priority to go to class.

I don’t have time to eat dinner becomes I am not making it a priority to eat dinner.

I don’t have time to respond to that text becomes I am not making it a priority to respond to that text.

Pay attention to how you feel when you change your vocabulary around your time management decisions. Some of the re-phrased statements will just feel wrong in an intuitive or emotional way.

What are your priorities?

When you rephrase your behavior in this way, it makes the differences between your values and your actions glaringly clear. That difference is what causes the feelings of discord. You may be using the excuse of not having enough time to put off doing something because it is hard, intimidating, risky, or unpleasant. If the result of that task is directly related to something which is very important to you (and you know it should be one of your priorities) then saying that you are not making it a priority will feel uncomfortable. It will most certainly feel worse than telling yourself you just don’t have time to do it.

Changing the words you use regarding what you are and are not doing helps you to shift the responsibility for your choices and to take ownership of them. “I don’t have time…” places the outcome of the situation outside of your control. You can’t take responsibility for what is outside of your control. “I am not making it a priority…” helps you reclaim ownership over your choices about how you spend your time. Thinking in terms of priorities will help you to regain control of your time and to manage it more effectively.

Feel good about your decisions

Making the connection between your time management decisions and your priorities is a powerful tool to examine your actions and align them with what you ultimately want to accomplish. When something is a priority, you make time to get it done even if you have to give up something else you want to do. Maybe you have to sacrifice free time, social time, or study time for another class. If you can’t say, “I am not making this a priority” without a sinking feeling in your stomach or a wave of anxiety, you need to re-think how you are spending your time and how to make more time for the things which are most important.

To find more time, try turning the priorities statement around by saying to yourself, “I am making Instagram (or whatever else you are doing) a priority right now.” How does that feel? When it feels wrong, adjust your actions and do something which is a priority instead.

Shifting the way you spend your time to more closely mirror your priorities will not only help you to achieve your goals, but it will make you happier and less stressed too. When you know you are living in way which is in line with your values, everything makes more sense. The anxiety you feel from avoiding things which are important but difficult will be replaced with the satisfaction of overcoming a challenge and the peace of knowing that the way you are living reflects what is most important to you.

What are your priorities? What do you tell yourself you don’t have time to do? Do the time management decisions you make each day line up with your priorities? Which time wasting activities can you eliminate to make time for things which you are currently avoiding?